Jerry Ignatius, DO
Department of Psychiatry, Division of Internal Medicine
About Dr. Jerry Ignatius
Dr. Jerry Ignatius is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and serves as the Center Medical Director of the Psychiatric Oncology Clinic. He completed medical school at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, followed by General Psychiatry residency at The University of Texas Medical Branch, and a fellowship in Psychiatric-Oncology at MD Anderson.
His academic and clinical interests include helping patients and colleagues connect with their personal mission, addressing demoralization and depression in cancer patients, and applying psychotherapies such as Psychodrama and Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy, based on the work of Viktor Frankl. He also developed a Personal Mission Adaptation to Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy to help reduce provider burnout by fostering connection to one’s calling.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Associate Professor, Psychiatry, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2006 | University of North Texas Health Science Center, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Worth, Texas, US, Osteopathic Medicine, DO |
Postgraduate Training
| 2020-2021 | Institutional Leadership, LEADing Teams Core program, The Leadership Institute,, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
| 2015-2023 | Psychodrama Training, Core Training, Hudson Valley Psychodrama Institute, Highland, New Jersey |
| 2011-2012 | Psychiatric Oncology Fellowship, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
| 2008-2011 | Psychiatry Residency, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, Texas |
| 2006-2008 | Internal Medicine Residency, The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas |
Licenses & Certifications
| 2022 | Washington State Department of Health |
| 2022 | Georgia Composite Medical Board |
| 2022 | Arizona Board of medical Examiners |
| 2022 | Alabama Board of Medical Examiners |
| 2022 | Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure |
| 2022 | Oklahoma State Board of Medical Examiners |
| 2022 | Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners |
| 2022 | Louisiana State Board of Medical Eaminers |
| 2012 | American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology |
| 2012 | Texas Medical Board |
Experience & Service
Faculty Academic Appointments
Assistant Professor, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2012 - 2024
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Psychiatry Oncology Center Medical Director, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2020 - Present
Other Professional Positions
Department of Psychiatry Wellness Officer, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2022 - Present
Patient Experience Officer, Psychiatry, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2018 - Present
Extramural Institutional Committee Activities
Representative, Faculty Senate, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2013 - 2018
Honors & Awards
| 2011 | Resident Medical Student Teaching Award, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston |
Professional Memberships
Selected Presentations & Talks
Local Presentations
- 2026. Personal Mission Adaptation of Meaning Centered Psychotherapy Session I. Invited. Ethics Conference. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2026. Demoralization and Exploration of Meaning in Our Life. Invited. MDA Best Presents. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2026. Competency Lecture Series. Lecture Series. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2026. Psychodrama/Sociodrama (Pgy2). Invited. PGY-2 Psychiatry Didactics.
- 2026. Introduction to Meaning Centered Psychotherapy. Psychiatry Lecture Series. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. Demoralization/Meaning Centered Psychotherapy lecture (Pgy2). Invited. PGY-2 Psychiatry Didactics. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. Demoralization. Invited. APRN Oncology Fellowship Lecture Series. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. "Houston we have a problem... Missions are not just defined by NASA: Defining your personal mission.". Invited. Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellows & Faculty Conference (PAFFC). Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. PMA-MCP Creative Source PGY4. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. “Houston we have a problem… Missions are not just defined by NASA: Defining your personal mission.” Grand Rounds. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. MDA Best Presents “Demoralization and Exploration of Meaning in Our Life”. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. Connecting to your calling | Grand Rounds Lecture. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. Connecting to your calling | Pain Management Wellness Series Session. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. The Fearless Organization Bookclub Presentation. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. PGY 2 Sociodrama/Psychoeducation. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. PMA-MCP Cohort IV - Experiential Source. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. Improving patient safety by preventing alcohol withdrawal through screening in an ambulatory setting. Invited. Ambulatory Leaders Update. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. PMA-MCP Cohort IV - Attitudinal Source. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. “How to Fail Forward”. Invited. Emergency Medicine FY25 Didactic Lecture. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. PGY 2 Personal Mission Adaptation. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. Combating Burnout/Finding your “Why.”. Conference. 2025 Oncologic Emergency Medicine Conference. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. PMA-MCP Cohort IV - Creative Source. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. PGY 3+4 Personal Mission Adaptation. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. PMA-MCP Cohort IV - Historical Source. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Personal Mission Adaptation - Meaning Centered Psychotherapy. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Attitudinal Pt. II Personal Mission Adaptation - Meaning Centered Psychotherapy. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Experiential Personal Mission Adaptation - Meaning Centered Psychotherapy. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Attitudinal Pt. I Personal Mission Adaptation - Meaning Centered Psychotherapy. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Creative Personal Mission Adaptation - Meaning Centered Psychotherapy. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Historical Personal Mission Adaptation - Meaning Centered Psychotherapy. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. MD Anderson Best Presents: Finding Meaning in Cancer. Invited. MD Anderson Best. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Sociodrama / Psychoeducation. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Personal Mission Adaptation - Meaning Centered Psychotherapy. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Personal Mission Adaptation - Meaning Centered Psychotherapy IV Cohort. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Personal Mission Adaptation - Meaning Centered Psychotherapy III Cohort. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Personal Mission Adaptation - Meaning Centered Psychotherapy II Cohort. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Personal Mission Adaptation - Meaning Centered Psychotherapy Cohort. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Personal Mission Adaptation - Meaning Centered Psychotherapy, Phase I. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Personal Mission Adaptation - Meaning Centered Psychotherapy. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. The Power in Purpose. Invited. Grand Rounds. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Personal Mission Adaptation - Meaning Centered Psychotherapy, Phase I. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Personal Mission Adaptation - Meaning Centered Psychotherapy Introduction. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Personal Mission Adaptation - Meaning Centered Psychotherapy, Phase I. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Staying Alive - Managing Suicidality in the Cancer Setting. Invited. Supportive Care Grand Rounds. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Personal Mission Adaptation - Meaning Centered Psychotherapy, Phase IV, Session IV. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Staying Alive - Managing Suicidality in the Cancer Setting. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Personal Mission Adaptation - Meaning Centered Psychotherapy, Phase II, Session III. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. The Power in Purpose. Invited. Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition Grand Rounds. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Personal Mission Adaptation - Meaning Centered Psychotherapy, Phase II, Session II. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Meaning-Centered Wellness and Strategies. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Personal Mission Adaptation - Meaning Centered Psychotherapy, Phase I, Session I. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. The key to failing forward is Know Your Why. Invited. GME Competency Lecture Series. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. Houston we have a problem... Missions are not justified by NASA. Defining your personal mission. Invited. Virtual Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine Grand Rounds. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. Personal Mission Adaptation - Meaning Centered Psychotherapy Introduction. Invited. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. Safety Moment: Improving patient safety during psychiatric emergencies in an ambulatory setting. Invited. Ambulatory Leaders Update. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. When an Ophthalmologist calls Psychiatry…an ethical case. Invited. Integrated Ethics Difficult Case Review. Houston, Texas, US.
Regional Presentations
- 2026. Nurturing Mind and Body: Connecting with your calling. Pain Management Wellness Series.
- 2026. Personal Mission Adaptation of Meaning Centered Psychotherapy (Sociodramatic). Invited. PGY-2 Psychiatry Didactics. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. PMA-MCP, Phase I. Invited. Sociodrama Faculty Retreat. San Francisco, CA, US.
National Presentations
- 2024. Professional Fulfillment Over a Career: Innovative Approaches to Promoting Whole Health for the Consult Liaison Clinician. Conference. Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Annual Meeting, Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry 2024. Miami, FL, US.
Formal Peers
- 2022. Psychotherapy Lecture Series; Psychodrama didactic workshop for UT Residents. Invited. Houston, TX, US.
- 2022. Psychotherapy Lecture Series; Psychodrama didactic workshop for UT Residents. Invited. Houston, TX, US.
- 2021. UT Houston PGY-3 Psychotherapy Lecture Series; Psychodrama didactic workshop for UT Residents. Invited. Houston, TX, US.
- 2021. Psychiatry Residency Program Grand Rounds: Demoralization. Invited. Baton Rouge, LA, US.
- 2020. Wable G, Ignatius J PGY-2 Resident Lecture: Supportive Psychotherapy in A Cancer Patient. Invited. Houston, TX, US.
- 2020. UT Houston PGY-3 Psychotherapy Lecture Series; Psychodramatic Methods in Psychosocial Oncology. Invited. Houston, TX, US.
- 2016. Psycho-Oncology Series, Demoralization. Invited. Houston, TX, US.
- 2016. Psycho-Oncology Series, Meaning Centered Psychotherapy. Invited. Houston, TX, US.
- 2016. What is Psychiatric Oncology?. Invited. Houston, TX, US.
- 2015. MD Anderson Expert Panel on Psychosocial Issues and Patient Centered Care Vignettes discussion of Fear of Cancer Recurrence. Visiting, US.
- 2015. Psychiatric Educational Lecture Series, Demoralization. Invited. Houston, TX, US.
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Tanco K, Lopez G, Koyyalagunta L, Fellman B, Halm J, Ignatius J, Bruera E. Comparison of Health Care Providers Attitudes and Beliefs Regarding Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol in the Management of Pain and Other Symptoms in Cancer Patients. J Palliat Med 26(4):539-543, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36576904.
- Ignatius J, De La Garza R. Frequency of demoralization and depression in cancer patients. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 60:137-140, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31103216.
Invited Articles
- Ignatius J, Baile W. How Situational Diagnosis Helps Disentangle Ethical and Psychological Features of Complex Cases. AMA J Ethics 19(5):454-459, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28553902.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified July 31, 2026